“We are not persecuting people but dismantling a regime while building a democratic one, legally and constitutionally,” the health minister said on Sunday in a Facebook post ahead of a vote on a constitutional amendment scheduled for Monday.

Hegedűs: “We are dismantling a regime, not persecuting people”

“Over the past sixteen years, not only has a system of government been established, but also a deep state that, through long terms of office, rules passed by the two-thirds majority, officials cemented in their post, and centres of power created with public funds, seeks to maintain the deceitful, corrupt, and hypocritical influence of the old regime even after an electoral defeat,” Hegedűs said.

“Legality is not the same as morality…therefore it is not enough to claim that the president of the republic, the prosecutor general, or any other public official made every decision within the framework of the law,” he added.

“The question is not merely whether they violated a law. It is also whether they fulfilled the moral duty of their office. Did they speak out when their office required it? Did they defend human dignity, the rule of law, and the unity of the nation?” he asked.

“Sulyok failed to fulfil his moral duty”

Hegedűs said that President Tamás Sulyok had repeatedly failed to fulfil the most important moral duty of the president: to set limits on power, to defend human dignity, to safeguard national unity, and to speak out on behalf of those who lack institutional power.

“If, following a landslide election victory, these public officials do not resign, the new democratic majority must terminate their mandates through peaceful means and in accordance with the rule of law,” Hegedűs said.

“Not out of revenge, and not simply to replace members of one party with members of another. But to dismantle the deep state, restore popular sovereignty, and ensure that the ousted regime — and any future regime — can no longer paralyse the will of the voters through entrenched offices. We are not persecuting people. We are dismantling a regime while building a democratic one. This is no small task or responsibility,” he said.

“Peacefully, lawfully, and constitutionally,” he added, concluding his post.

Have you heard? Péter Magyar has set out how he intends to unseat the Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok: the plan, step by step

Rétvári: Constitutional amendment aims to remove former Fidesz-KDNP MPs

An amendment to the Fundamental Law submitted by the government aims to remove MPs who were part of the former Fidesz-KDNP alliance from parliament, Bence Rétvári, the head of KDNP’s parliamentary group, said in a post on Facebook on Sunday. A provision in the constitutional amendment, on which lawmakers will vote on Monday, limits the mandates of MPs to a total of twelve years.

Rétvári said the governing Tisza Party was “making a mistake” in the post. “Voters’ decision was not for the rest of time, but for four years. They were not given a mandate to do whatever they like, but to govern better than in the 2022-2026 term,” he added. “We reject legislation that is retroactive, tailored to fit, un-European and based on whim,” Rétvári said.

If you missed it: Péter Magyar’s Q&A: government decisions, sleep schedule, future after Parliament